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BTRDA® Gold Star® Champions

BTRDA® Car Trial Grand Final

Date: 19th October 2008

18 competitors lined up for the start at the Orchard, where some surprise overnight rain had made the conditions decidedly slippery.  Hosts Kidderminster Motor Car Club had set some very tough sections - as is right and proper for the Grand Final - and many drivers were feeling the strain. 

Les Andrew dominated Class One in his Citroen AX, while Nick Pollitt's borrowed Saxo struggled to stay ahead of BTRDA Drive star Julian Archard in the Motorsports future Nissan Micra.  Pollitt had the consolation of being the Silver Star runner up

Neil Mackay took an early lead in Class Two with his Fiat Panda, with Garry Preston's Fiat 127 keeping him honest throughout the day, finishing only 11 behind.  Barrie Parker had some good climbs in the bigger Scirocco and took third place, while Rupert North drove his Mini with increasing confidence to net fourth and so become the Bronze Star runner up.  Jo Preston (Fiat 127) and Jay Grossmith (Metro) had a day long battle which ended in the gentlemanly way - poor Jay going home to Kent with the wooden spoon.

Superb driving from Dave Oliver brought him the biggest prize of the day, when he became Gold Star Champion for the third time in his trialling career.  Although he didn't have things all his own way with the master (Steve Courts) closing in at the finish in his similar Hillman Imp. Mental aberation at a restart board didn't help Courts' score, but he stuck to it.  Nigel Weeks had a poorer day than he would have liked in his Imp, finding the conditions very tricky, but his third in class gave him the Bronze Star championship.  Malcolm Brown (Westfield) and Howard Blackwell (Suzuki X/90) have had better days.

The longest serving trialler in the land brought his Clan Crusader out to play, and Bill Moffatt has lost none of his skill.  Easing out a slight lead in the morning, he increased it steadily and beat Tim Lakin's Marlin by a dozen points by the end.  Simon Harris's Golf was outclassed in this company.  Tim Lakin did, however, become Silver Star Champion.